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Definitely one of the most gut-wrenching cop series out there. Every character is flawed, yet likable. The situations are almost always tense and the stress of being a police officer is very well expressed.

There was a one-year hiatus between season one and season two, due to a change in producers, but the quality of the series has not faltered one bit. The second season first episode (no spoilers here) will go down in history as being one the most frightening and shocking out there.

You can't help but like and relate to the lead characters, Benoît Chartier, played by Claude Legault, and Nick Beroff, played by Réal Bossé. Those of us familiar with Bossé have never seen him in such a dramatic role. One wonders where he channels all that angst from.

If you are fluent in French and looking for something that would be world famous if HBO produced it, look no further, 19-2 is it.

I remember seeing this movie in theaters almost 7 years ago, during the Holidays, and falling under its spell almost instantly.

The main element of the story, unknown to me at that time, was that soldiers on both sides of the War decided to call a truce on that night. And the following morning. Until...Like the title to this review says: How common sense almost prevailed. Almost. I won't go into spoilers here, I'll simply add that this movie is a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas, and how we need to find hope and common sense in each other in the heart of madness. Considering the recent events in Newtown CT, I think that's more appropriate than ever.

The acting is good, but I give special props to Gary Lewis, Dany Boon and Daniel Bruhl in their respective roles. Production values are good too. Best of all, the music.

We all have our favorite books that we would love to see transferred to the big screen. Problem is that when they are, we are often disappointed by the adaptation. Usually, those books are so clear in our minds, with a linear development until the conclusion, that we feel betrayed by the adaptation. Not so here.

Firstly, when I read that The Diving Bell and the Butterfly would be adapted, I was very skeptical as this book is probably the polar opposite of the typical blockbuster, and is, in my opinion, one of the most difficult books to adapt on screen. I suggest that you read it to understand my point. It's only 140 pages or so, therefore, don't miss out on it.

Schnabel was able to transform a series of somewhat independent chapters and ideas in a movie that is both faithful to the text, and yet very different at the same time, and that is no small feat. All the actors do an outstanding job, and even though the protagonist, Jean-Dominique Bauby, is clearly not a saint, we empathize with him and his loved ones.

Definitely worth it.

I went to see the movie about two weeks ago here in Lévis. I had read a lot about it and I was really looking forward to seeing it. It IS a good movie, but somehow, not transcendent as I was hoping.

The depiction of monastic life is very realistic, with St. Benedict's Rule in application. You see the monks pray, work, mostly in silence as they do in real life. But when it comes to touching the core of faith, love, and even though Lambert Wilson, Michael Lonsdale and all the other actors do an outstanding job, it falls short of what it could have achieved. It does raise good questions about how to live our lives. Roger Ebert said that he would have chosen another path for the monks, had he been their Prior, but if you truly love your neighbor, can you abandon him? The monks' choice, given their faith, is perfectly sensible, and they aren't made out to be saints and martyrs. Conveying that feeling of grace and love is much more difficult though, and I blame this in part on my own expectations, not on the movie itself.

In the end, a good movie. But not transcendent.

As an edit, I must admit, that the movie, just like the monks, does not proselytise, which is probably why I felt a bit let-down in the end. If so, that's probably a good thing, and I realize that depicting harmonious coexistence is more essential than ever in today's world.

I watched it at the request of a friend last week. The first part alone was so riddled with factual errors that even though the other two parts raise interesting questions, I'm inclined to doubt them, although I am nowhere near informed enough to tell lie from truth in the last two parts.

The major issue that I have with the main part is that it mixes a lot of inaccuracies with only a sprinkling of facts.

Fact: Sirius ALWAYS lines with Orion's belt, and not only around December 25th... It does appear near the horizon every year around that time, hence the reliability of astronomical calendars because stars DO NOT apparently move in relation to one another... whereas planets do.

Fact : Helios is Greek for Sun and Uios is Greek for Son. Sole is Sun in Latin, and Filius is Son... playing on words in English is really weak...

Fact : Prometheus (listed in the list of avatars for Christ) wasn't from Caucasus, but rather condemned by Zeus to be chained there to have his liver eaten day after day by a vulture, never crucified or resurrected, idem for Mithra, born from a rock, Horus and all the other deities.

If you wish to imply that religion has been subverted to become an instrument of control, be my guest, there's plenty of FACTS to back that up.

Same for the conspiracy theories by governments and banks... Give me facts, and I'll listen.

Just finished seeing Les 7 jours du talion and I have to admit that words cannot begin to describe how that movie will affect you. The acting is superb, it is very much a "huis-clos" as we call it in French, a duel of actors in an enclosed space where no one else can see them.

I'm not a fan of torture porn, I've never seen the Saw and Hostel movies as they aren't my cup of tea personally. Warning here that the violence, though rare, is very graphic and realistic. But the characters are very convincing, especially in what they DON'T say aloud. And I agree with the choice not to add a soundtrack to that movie, it would detract from the tension in it.

I know that I normally buy a DVD of a really outstanding movie, but I'll pass on this one, though it is outstanding. It's just that the dark side of human nature does not always bear repeat contemplation.

I went to see the movie last night at my local theater. I was very pleasantly surprised. Fred Pellerin, the writer and narrator of the movie, has been able to weave an extraordinary tale, a bit like Tim Burton's Big Fish. For people outside the Province of Québec, Fred Pellerin is a storyteller, much in the vein of Jim Henson's Storyteller, but with all the energy of Robin Williams when he's on stage, and twisting words to give them new meanings. Thankfully, he tones down his enthusiasm here, to let the characters come to life.

It tells the story of a town idiot in the village of Saint-Élie-de-Caxton. From his birth to his death, his life is divided in chapters where we see how being a simpleton born of a single woman considered a witch in a small village can cause all sorts of trouble.

Luc Picard, who plays Toussaint Brodeur, does a good job at directing the movie. The effects are pretty good, considering the low budget, and all the actors give a good performance, especially Vincent-Guillaume Otis in the lead role.

The only downside for anyone who doesn't speak French, or who isn't familiar with Québécois, will be the difficulty to understand some expressions, especially since they have been twisted to give them new meaning.

I saw this film about a year ago, and I found it very good. Not because of the action, but because of the introspection it causes. Élise Guilbert was outstanding in her role, as was Patrick Drolet. Bernard Émond didn't make a movie for a specific demographic, which is becoming more and more common even here, he wrote a movie about something that matters to him. Even though he is an admitted atheist, his movie revolves around the first of the three theological virtues, that of faith, and how it can be misplaced, misjudged, and yet so ingrained in our heritage.

The movie didn't try to play on clichés, nor did it try to explain and justify everything. It simply tells a good story, and Élise Guilbert will be back in the third film of the triptychch, the second one, CONTRE TOUTE ESPÉRANCE, is coming out on August 17th, and deals with Hope. I look forward to seeing it.

It's good to see a movie that capitalizes on three basic rules: a good story, a good storyteller and good characters. When you get all three in the same movie, you don't need a lot of FX to achieve a good movie. This one has them all and you should simply judge for yourself.